WHEN the sun decides to show itself I love nothing more than sitting on my patio watching the world go by.
But my good mood is dampened when I spot the the pesky weeds popping up between the slabs, something I’ve been meaning to tackle for months – but who likes doing that job?
Having killed almost every houseplant I’ve ever owned I’m certainly no green-fingered expert, but at 29, my time has come to tidy up my outside space.
TikTok is awash with hacks to banish weeds for good but do any of them actually do the trick?
I gave five a go to find out which work and I unearthed the ones which are total duds.
Online, everybody and their mum raves about the multiple things you can do with white vinegar.
It’s acidic properties is claimed to clean washing machine, mirrors, and of course, deal with stubborn weeds.
I started by adding one cup of white vinegar which I bagged for just £1 from Morrisons and added it to a spray bottle with water, I then doused the plant in the stinky solution and left it to work for two days.
I was impressed – some of the plant was on it’s way to dying but when I went to pull it out it didn’t come out from the root, meaning it’s sure to grow back in no time.
Rating: 5/10
When I told my wise mum about my experiment she had one product she said I must try – washing up liquid.
And she isn’t the only one to recommend using the soapy stuff to banish weeds.
Endless videos on TikTok see fans recommending the dish soap to kill off weeds and for £2 a bottle in Tesco, it’s cheaper than shop-bought weed killer.
Again, I squeezed a good amount of it into a spray bottle and added water before giving it a shake.
I then sprayed it all over the plant and let it get to work. However, the plant seemed to enjoy its bath and showed no signs of wilting.
Rating – 2/10
MORE cheap hacks to banish weeds from your garden for good.
BRUSH OFF: Gardening fans have raved about the Rolson Weed Brush, which you can buy from B&M.
One social media user commented: “This is my new friend. £4 from B&M”, whilst a second agreed: “I used one of these too and it’s brilliant. It removes the whole weed too.”
BAKE IT: Gardening enthusiasts have also praised baking soda for tackling weeds.
One man explained: ”What will then happen is the plants will absorb it, as they get damp when it starts to rain because they’re thirsty – because it’s been sunny. That’s nature’s way of killing it.”
WASH THIS: According to Sam Marlow, a gardening expert, washing powder is an affordable way to say goodbye to weeds.
He advised: “If you’re on a budget, there’s a cheap way to keep weeds at bay. If you want to remove persistent unwanted plants from paths or patios, try using washing powder. It’s a super easy way to banish weeds once and for all.”
Salt is also on my list of alleged weed-killing heroes which is supposed to seep into the soil and sterilise it – making it impossible for re-growth.
After spritzing on a salt and water solution with my trusty spray bottle I added some coarse salt on top for good measure and waited patiently.
But when I went back to the weed two days later it looked exactly the same as before.
Rating: 2/10
Mixing washing up liquid and salt with white vinegar is claimed to be a potent weed-killing machine.
After mixing the products together I topped up the bottle with water before drenching the weed.
After two days I went back to check on the weed and it had wilted away at the root – making it easy to pull out of the patio.
While this did work better than using each one on its own, it set me back £3.70 for the three products – so I might as well buy a shop weed killer.
Rating: 6/10
Last but definitely not least was bleach – I had a 70p bottle from M&S in my cupboard – which I mixed with water and sprayed directly onto the weed.
After two days of marinating in the solution the plant had completely withered away and the root popped out too.
But be cautious – while it was definitely the most effective hack of all, it discoloured the patio stone so I’d suggest doing a patch test first in a discreet spot.
If yours can withstand such a potent potion this is a clear weed winner.
Rating: 9/10
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